Richard Sherman is live following #SEAvsSF. https://t.co/UG9j0Dn2RJ
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 17, 2018
(To hear Sherman on Saleh, start from 6:50)
The Seahawks handed the 49ers their worst loss of the 2018 season two weeks ago in Seattle, when San Francisco was dismantled 43-16 at CenturyLink Field. On Sunday, the 49ers earned arguably their most impressive win of the season against that very same Seahawks team, edging the wild card hopefulls 26-23.
After the game, Richard Sherman said the 49ers coaching staff wouldn’t allow the team forget the embarrassment of losing in Seattle, and that defensive coordinator Robert Saleh put together a highlight tape of the Seahawks during the week as a motivational tactic.
“Kyle (Shanahan) made us painfully aware of the streak,” Sherman said. “We hadn’t beat them since 2013 and he made sure everybody knew.
“Saleh made sure everybody remembered what happened in Seattle. He played what would appear to everybody else as a highlight tape for the other team. It was every play they made, celebrating in the end zone, doing this (mimes ‘feed me’ celebration), and I think it touched a part of guys that you need to touch sometimes.”
The tactic seems to have worked.
“Sometimes you need to touch guys’ pride. You need to have some pride, you’re a grown man. They went out there and embarrassed you. How are you going to respond? And I think guys showed how they responded.”